BULLETIN :
IT STARTED as heated words exchanged across the Kingscliff Beach Hotel during a Sunday afternoon drinking session.
The former South Sydney, Manly and Tigers halfback Craig Field, 39, and Shaun Fathers, 41, became involved in a running dispute with a local north coast cattle farmer and father of two, Kelvin Kane, 50.
It continued, police said, until the pub closed at 9pm, when the three men allegedly went to the hotel car park to sort it out.
Mr Kane was then allegedly ''king hit'' once in the head, falling to the ground and suffering fatal head injuries. He died in Tweed Heads Hospital at 1pm yesterday.
Mr Field, who played 183 first-grade rugby league games in Australia over an 11-year career, and Mr Fathers were yesterday charged with his murder.
''There was a confrontation in the hotel during the afternoon and evening,'' Tweed Heads Superintendent Stuart Wilkins said. ''At the closing of the hotel it has moved to the car park where it's taken a violent turn. We believe it was one significant punch that caused this man to fall to the ground and hit his head.''
Police and paramedics found Mr Kane unconscious outside the pub on Marine Parade about 9.15pm. They tried to revive him before he was taken to Tweed Heads Hospital and placed on life support.
Mr Field and Mr Fathers were arrested at a nearby home and taken to the local police station where they were charged yesterday morning with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.
This charge was revised to murder after Mr Kane died of a brain hemmorhage yesterday afternoon and witness reports had been gathered by Kingscliff Beach Hotel staff and patrons recalling the incident that allegedly went on for many hours within the pub, before spilling violently outside at closing time.
Mr Kane is survived by his wife and two children.